One dies in Sandton bridge collapse

At least one person has died after a bridge under construction collapsed on the M1 highway in Sandton, paramedics said.

At least one person has died after a bridge under construction collapsed on the M1 highway in Sandton, paramedics said.

ER24 said in a statement that at least 17 people were injured, while Netcare 911 said on Twitter that 15 people were injured - five critically.

ER24 spokesperson Pieter Rossouw said several paramedics and emergency services officials were on the scene.

Murray & Roberts, the company responsible for the construction said it was probing the incident.

Company spokesperson Ed Jardim said they did not immediately have all the details of the incident, but they had sent people to the scene.

"We have not been able to look at the cause as yet. At the moment, we are concentrating on ensuring that if there are any people injured, they are attended to quickly," said Jardim.

Reports from the scene are that at least one vehicle was trapped after the pedestrian bridge collapsed.

A motorist told Eyewitness News that he saw the structure crash onto the car behind him.

According to an eNCA report a minibus taxi was trapped underneath.

A photograph shows the red structure, which was reportedly meant to be a pedestrian crossing, blocking both the north and south-bound lanes of the highway. News24 reporters were on their way to the scene. Source: News24